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Shoba Narayan
Shoba Narayan is Bangalore-based award-winning author. She is also a freelance contributor who writes about art, food, fashion and travel for a number of publications.
Articles by Shoba Narayan

Bangalore Talkies: The art of negotiation—Commercial Street edition
UPDATED ON MAR 01, 2021 03:52 PM IST
Shoba Narayan relates how she finally rolled up her sleeves and decided to wade into that murky territory usually ruled by the ubiquitous Indian grandmother—bargaining

This Indian Life by Shoba Narayan: Reading body language on Zoom
By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON JUN 07, 2020 02:24 PM IST
Online interactions may be effective, but minus body language and touch, they are not nimble

This Indian life by Shoba Narayan: Why are men yearning for the barber
By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON MAY 23, 2020 10:23 PM IST
For men, the barber is not just a haircutter. He is a therapist, beautician and philosopher, all rolled into one.

This Indian life by Shoba Narayan: Learning life lessons at the local bazaar
By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON MAY 10, 2020 06:30 AM IST
Bargaining isn’t about money. It is about creating relationships out of transactions.

HT Brunch Cover Story: One of India’s greatest dancers, Malvika Sarukkai, is facing her biggest challenge
By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON APR 26, 2020 03:50 AM IST
The ace Bharatanatyam dancer reveals how she gave a sacred scripture the physicality of dance

This Indian life by Shoba Narayan: Recipe for a relationship
By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON APR 26, 2020 02:57 AM IST
Struggling to cook? Phone your relatives in the ancestral village

This Indian life by Shoba Narayan: Love in a time of corona
By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON APR 12, 2020 02:41 AM IST
Think of this as a time to recalibrate your perspective on life

This Indian life by Shoba Narayan: 27 things to do while in isolation
By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON MAR 28, 2020 10:29 PM IST
Don’t let the Coronavirus get you down

This Indian life by Shoba Narayan: Map of the soul
By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON MAR 15, 2020 12:17 AM IST
Sometimes music is the only way to bring one back to life

This Indian life by Shoba Narayan: How to make friends with your neighbour
By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON FEB 29, 2020 09:51 PM IST
Differences vanish when you embrace a person’s humanity

This Indian life: Lessons in love and my funny Valentine
By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON FEB 16, 2020 12:13 AM IST
Could it be that a marriage lasts because both spouses value what they have more than what they give up?

This Indian Life by Shoba Narayan: The pleasures of an Indian gooseberry
By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON FEB 01, 2020 09:20 PM IST
Love is not the only thing that makes the world go round

This Indian Life by Shoba Narayan: What colour is your chocolate?
By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON JAN 19, 2020 12:28 AM IST
White or dark, it’s all normal. All chocolate. And love is love.

This Indian life by Shoba Narayan: How to deal with family members who seem intolerant about issues you support
By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON JAN 04, 2020 10:34 PM IST
Don’t shut out the hypocrites and bigots in your family. Engage with them instead. You may be surprised.

This Indian life by Shoba Narayan: Baking Christmas cake with Uncle Chandy
By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON DEC 23, 2019 01:03 PM IST
It’s the only way to truly feel the spirit of the season

This Indian Life by Shoba Narayan: On conquering WhatsApp addiction
By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON DEC 07, 2019 11:50 PM IST
Tips and tricks for the most common instant messaging problems

This Indian life by Shoba Narayan: The life and death of a WhatsApp group
By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON NOV 23, 2019 11:43 PM IST
When forwards lead to fulmination, it’s soon time to say goodbye

This Indian life by Shoba Narayan: Did WhatsApp group messaging make Diwali fun?
UPDATED ON NOV 17, 2019 01:23 AM IST
Even a festival cannot be all happy happy when you are a member of a massive WhatsApp group

This Indian life: When do you become just your child’s ‘Plus One’?
By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON OCT 27, 2019 12:25 AM IST
Graceful ageing is about giving up power but retaining self-control

This Indian Life by Shoba Narayan: What are Indian family values?
By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON OCT 13, 2019 12:00 AM IST
Would individual principles work in a population that is largely contradictory, inconsistent, and boundary-free

This Indian Life: How to uphold family values
By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON SEP 28, 2019 11:50 PM IST
Films tell us that families are about izzat and dharm, but isn’t there anything else?

This Indian Life by Shoba Narayan: The languages of love
By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON SEP 14, 2019 10:37 PM IST
Hearts, flowers and cuddly teddy bears are not the only way to express affection

This Indian Life by Shoba Narayan: Why prenup is not a good idea after all?
By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON SEP 01, 2019 01:30 AM IST
This legal document breaks down into numbers and decimals a relationship that is based on the sacred

This Indian life by Shoba Narayan: Zen and the art of self surrender
By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON AUG 17, 2019 07:58 PM IST
Living with faith sounds easy, but can be incredibly hard

This Indian life by Shoba Narayan: Life lessons from grandparents
By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON AUG 03, 2019 10:20 PM IST
Learn from those who really know

This Indian life by Shoba Narayan: Letter to a child who is leaving home
By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON JUL 21, 2019 05:40 PM IST
10 pieces of advice to smooth your life’s journey.

This Indian life by Shoba Narayan: Want to live longer? Start a business
By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON JUL 06, 2019 10:42 PM IST
It is the best way t to keep the mind active and alert

This Indian Life by Shoba Narayan: How to preserve the story of your life
By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON JUN 22, 2019 11:54 PM IST
In the digital overload of photos, status updates and emails, where are the real milestones of your journey?

This Indian life: He said, she said
By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON JUN 08, 2019 11:49 PM IST
The war of words in a post-marital apocalypse...

This Indian life: The wedding hashtag as challenged by Aunty Mona
By Shoba Narayan | Hindustan Times
UPDATED ON MAY 26, 2019 07:47 AM IST
How older relatives put the byte on weddings of the 21st century